Our Choices Make Us Who We Are
by OnlyOneKebab
Summary: The Clone Wars have plunged the galaxy into chaos. The Chancellor gains new powers every day, and the Council becomes more and more withdrawn, unsure of who to trust. Tired of the dishonesty from both sides, Anakin must decide if either of them are worth saving, or if he can do better on his own.
1. Chapter 1

**So before we begin I would just like to explain this is a rewrite. Some stuff will be completely missing, some brand new stuff will happen, and some things will be the exact same. The core plot will remain roughly the same, I will try to make it more coherent and will change things up to make things a little more interesting. If there's any complaints you had about the original you do** ** _not_** **want to happen again, let me know via PM or review. Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

 **CHAPTER ONE**

* * *

 _He cut off your arm, he doesn't deserve mercy,_ Anakin thought to himself, his eyes locked on the Sith Lord in front of him. The red and blue glow from the lightsabers cast shadows on the mans angular face.

"Kill him now," a gravely voice said to his left.

Anakin shook his head, trying to block out all the noise. Adrenaline was pumping through his veins, and his heart was pounding. One quick jerk of his arms and Count Dooku would be no more. The Separatists wouldn't have a leader, and he would get revenge for his missing arm.

"Do it," Palpatine said in a low voice, encouraging him to act on what he wanted to do most. Pulling back, Anakin thought about how much suffering Count Dooku had caused the galaxy, starting the Clone Wars by leading the Separatists. And the man had caused Obi-Wan so much pain, reminding him of the loss of Qui-Gon thirteen years ago.

The thought of his best friend pulled Anakin from his train of thought. What was he going to do about Obi-Wan?

"Do it," Palpatine hissed again.

"On your feet," Anakin barked, surprising the Sith Lord. "Now!"

Dooku got up unsteadily, cradling the stump of his right arm with his remaining hand. Not giving him a chance to try anything, Anakin placed a Force restraint on the man's wrist, preventing him from using the Force.

"If you try anything, I will kill you," the Jedi Knight said in a low voice. Using the Force he released the Chancellor's restraints, and ran over to Obi-Wan, lifting the platform off of him.

"Leave him or we'll never make it," Palpatine said from behind him.

"His fate will be the same as ours," Anakin said firmly, lifting Obi-Wan over his shoulders. A thousand thoughts were running through his mind, but he pushed them aside for later. The four of them wouldn't make it off the ship if he didn't focus.

"You first," he said, jerking his chin towards the exit. Dooku gave him the smallest of bows, a scowl on his face as he marched ahead.

"Straight to the elevator bank, and stop ten feet in front of them," Anakin said, honing in on Dooku's Force signature. If he tried to call for help, he would pick up on it.

"R2, activate elevator 3224," Anakin said into the commlink. As he waited for a response, he felt the ship shudder as it was strafed by fire from a Republic star destroyer.

Suddenly the floor began to lurch forward, and Anakin used the Force to push Dooku and the Chancellor into the elevator shaft before they fell to their death in the now vertical hallway. As Anakin looked down the shaft for any signs of danger, he heard a shout from behind him, and turned to see Dooku fall.

"I-," Palpatine stuttered, "I lost my balance, and I reached out...," he trailed off, shaking from what he had just done. Anakin grabbed his arm, pulling him along.

"Come on, we don't have time," he said. He wasn't exactly torn up about the Sith Lord's death, but the Chancellor hadn't killed anyone before, and Anakin knew how much that could weigh on a person.

The ship shuddered again, and Anakin felt it began to stabilize beneath his feet. As his legs lost contact with the walls of the elevator shift, he felt the Chancellor grab on, his grip like steel. Reaching out with his mechanical arm, he ripped out some of the wiring as he fell, and used it to swing them out and onto the floor of an elevator bay.

The three rolled on the hard floor, trying to reorient themselves, and Anakin felt Obi-Wan stir beside him.

"Did I miss something?" Obi-Wan groaned as he propped himself up.

"Nothing important," Anakin said, extending his arm.

"Then where's Dooku?" Obi-Wan asked. Anakin exchanged a look with the Chancellor, and bowed his head.

"He didn't make it when the ship was listing," Anakin explained. "Come on, we're near the control room, we might be able to capture General Grievous."

"Or commandeer an escape pod," Palpatine said eagerly.

"He's right. We're here to rescue the Chancellor, not fight Grievous."

A scowl on his face, Anakin pressed the transmitter button.

"R2, where's the nearest escape pod?" A series of beeps echoed in the hallway, and Anakin nodded. "Meet us there," he said calmly. "We're not far, the closest one is at the end of the corridor."

* * *

"We've lost the hyperdrive, sir," one of the battle droids reported. General Grievous let out a growl at the news, leaving the control room. He had seen the readouts for the _Invisible Hand_ , and knew it wouldn't survive another strafing from the Republic.

"Time to abandon ship," he cackled to himself as he lumbered into an escape pod. After punching in the code, he laughed maniacally at the sight of the other escape pods jettisoning off into space. Not only would the enemy fighters be too overwhelmed to shoot down his pod, but the Jedi and the Chancellor would go down with the ship.

* * *

"R2 there's no escape pods," Anakin said. He listened intently to the astromech's report, and turned to face Obi-Wan and the Chancellor.

"Grievous jettisoned all the escape pods."

A panicked look appeared on Palpatine's face, and his eyes darted between the two Jedi.

"Surely the two of you came here on your own ships," he said frantically.

"I doubt they survived the ship rotating ninety degrees," Obi-Wan said grimly. As if he knew what his former Padawan was thinking, Obi-Wan shook his head.

"No, we're not doing that," he said firmly.

"Why not? It's not the first time I've done an emergency landing-,"

"Is that what you call crash landings?"

"Excuse me, but what exactly are your proposing, Anakin?" Palpatine interrupted.

"If the ship's steering capabilities haven't been damaged, I could do an emergency landing on Coruscant," Anakin said.

"It appears that's our only option," Palpatine said, looking at Obi-Wan expectantly.

"Lets go then," Obi-Wan said, breaking into a jog as he followed Anakin.

"Change in plans R2, meet us in the control room."

* * *

Obi-Wan called out whatever measurements appeared on screen as Anakin guided the ship into the atmosphere. The ship shuddered as flaps were ripped away, and Obi-Wan took a deep breath. He had no doubt in his former Padawan's abilities, but at the end of their exploits he was always stunned they had made it through relatively unscathed.

The three men lurched forward in their seats as the sound of groaning metal filled their ears. Anakin took a worried look back, and locked eyes with Obi-Wan.

"We lost something," he joked.

"Not to worry, we are still flying half a ship," Obi-Wan quipped in return.

Palpatine blanched at the two's rather cavalier attitudes towards the situation. R2 decided to alleviate his fears by beeping out some words that were not as reassuring as they should have been.

A bead of sweat rolled down Anakin's face, strained in concentration as he put all his efforts into landing the ship at a slightly less than breakneck speed.

"Steady," Obi-Wan said calmly, sending waves of reassurance along their Force bond. Anakin's Force presence felt like a wall, completely shutting out anything that wasn't relevant to 'flying' the ship.

"Easy R2!" Anakin exclaimed as the astromech let out another round of beeps.

Obi-Wan idly wondered what the little blue droid was saying to the other two passengers, but quickly returned his attention to the sensors. The ground was racing towards the ship at an alarming rate, and Obi-Wan braced himself for the inevitable rough landing.

Anakin pulled up on the joystick with all his might, his mechanical hand even straining from the force. His head nearly slammed into the dash when the ship collided with the ground, the grinding screech of metal on concrete echoing around them. The ship continued to rock and bounce, until finally it came to a complete stop.

"Another happy landing," Obi-Wan said while the others caught their breath.

* * *

Anakin and Obi-Wan remained by the shuttle as Palpatine greeted the Senators and Mace Windu.

"It's your big day. You hauled me around unconscious on your back on a ship full of hostiles, and then piloted the same disabled ship down to the ground without any casualties," Obi-Wan said.

"All because of your training, Master," Anakin said sardonically.

"Let's be fair. Today is your big day, Anakin. You get to spend today with the politicians, and have them thank you for your service," Obi-Wan jested.

"You owe me one," Anakin relented. "And not just for saving your skin for the umpteenth time."

"I recall us being at an even tie, something about Cato Nemoidia," Obi-Wan teased. "I'll see you at the debrief."

Anakin watched the shuttle depart, before walking towards the now retreating group of politicians. He always allowed Obi-Wan to 'persuade' him to spend the day with the politicians. That just gave him an excuse to be gone all night.

Unfortunately one of the politicians had lingered to have a word with him, but Anakin wasn't too bothered. It was the Senator from Alderaan, Bail Organa. He seemed to have a genuine concern for the outcome of the war outside of total Republic dominance, and it's effect on the Republic's citizens.

The two managed to hold a conversation up to the Senators offices, coming to a stop outside the elevator bank.

"We'll be concentrating our intelligence on communications with Raxus and Outer Rim worlds," Anakin said.

"That's good to know. I'll do everything I can in the Senate to make sure it goes smoothly. If you'll excuse me," Bail said apologetically, as one of his aides rushed towards them.

"Of course," Anakin said, bowing his head respectfully. Now that no one was paying him any attention, he walked as calmly as he could to the office of the Senator he really wanted to see.

"And make sure to get Mon Mothma to sign it. She can be forgetful when it comes to petitions so don't be afraid to be persistent," a familiar voice said in the next room. The aide she was speaking to said something in reply, before leaving the office.

Now that they were completely alone, Anakin could abandon any pretenses. Quietly, he walked into her office, and leaned against the door frame.

"Did you miss me?" he asked, startling her.

"Anakin!" she exclaimed, running into his arms. He lifted her up and spun her around, setting her down when she finished laughing.

"It's so good to see you," he said, giving her a kiss. "You have no idea."

"I can't believe you're here!" she breathed. "You've been gone for too long."

"And I've got the perfect way to make it up to you. I don't have a briefing until tomorrow at noon," Anakin said excitedly. "Our emergency landing got us a twelve-hour reprieve."

"That's wonderful! I get out of here in an hour. Will Corellian dumplings be on the menu tonight?"

"Of course. Much better than bantha stew. Now if you'll excuse me, I have some, meditation, to do," he said with a wink.

"Until next time, Master Skywalker," Padme said regally, giving her husband one last kiss.

* * *

The entourage of politicians had dispersed for the night, no doubt enjoying some of Coruscant's finer entertainment venues, leaving the Jedi Master and Chancellor alone to discuss the course of the Republic.

"Dooku's death is both a tragedy and a blessing for the Republic," the Chancellor said solemnly. "On one hand, the spearhead of a secessionist movement is no more, but now our chances of resolving this peacefully greatly dwindle with a lack of centralized power."

"I agree," Windu said. "We must move quickly to capture Grievous if we wish to end the war."

"He will be our top priority. I have all of our intelligence divisions on high alert for anything regarding his whereabouts." Palpatine took a deep breath, unsure of how to articulate what he had to say. "Master Windu, forgive me if this is crass, but how do you come to terms with taking another's life?"

Windu leaned back, surprised at the turn in the conversation. But he had heard the Chancellor explain, however briefly, how Count Dooku had met his demise.

"It isn't something that is easy to accept at first. But you have to remind yourself it is a war, and that loss of life, however regrettable, is unavoidable."

"Thank you for your words, Master Windu. It was just so sudden. I lost my balance and grabbed the closest thing," Palpatine explained, his voice cracking near the end. His gaze flickered to the holo, and straightened himself. "My apologies, I lost track of the time. I'm sure you have very important matters to attend to at the Temple."

"Of course," Windu said, rising from his seat. "Again, I'm glad you made it through unscathed."

"Me too, Master Windu."

* * *

"That was an interesting take on Corellian dumplings," Padme said as she tucked her feet up on the couch. "Where did you learn that?"

"When I was on Felucia we lost contact with the clones and were running low on rations. I had to hike into this village and I had no idea what I was buying, just pointed at whatever looked somewhat familiar. Needless to say I was pretty surprised when it turned out to be edible," Anakin laughed.

"Maybe they should send you to culinary school," Padme joked. "Then you can learn how to properly cook for me and the baby."

"Yeah the Council would be-," Anakin froze, his mind running over what his wife had just said. "You're pregnant?" he exclaimed. Without waiting for confirmation he enveloped her in the biggest hug possible.

"Yes," Padme said, her voice muffled.

"This is perfect!" Anakin said excitedly.

"I need to breathe, Anakin," Padme teased, and he loosened his grip, still not letting her out of his arms.

"Is it a boy or a girl?"

"My motherly intuition says it's a boy."

Anakin closed his eyes, as if deep in thought, and shook his head.

"No, definitely a girl."

"I guess I'll be the one who's twenty credits richer in seven months," Padme teased, giving her husband a kiss on the cheek.

* * *

Anakin woke with a sweat, his heart racing from the nightmare.

 _That wasn't a nightmare, that was a Force vision_ , he thought to himself. Careful not to disturb Padme, he slipped out of bed and walked out onto the balcony, relishing the fresh air.

It was happening again, only this time he wasn't going to sit by and wait until it was too late. He wasn't going to take no for an answer from the Jedi Council, their ban on attachments be damned. The last time he waited for the Council's permission, his mother had died in his arms. If he had only gone to Tatooine sooner, if he hadn't wasted so much time deliberating with Obi-Wan whether or not the visions were real. If he had contacted the Lars and asked about his mother.

This time none of the 'if's' were going to stop him from saving Padme. Wherever the Council had him seven months from now wouldn't concern him, he would be by Padme's side, ready to save her from whatever was causing her so much pain in the vision-

"Anakin, what are you doing out here?" Padme's soft voice called from the entryway.

"Nothing, just thinking," he said, not moving from his position.

"Don't shut me out, tell me what's going on," she said, resting her hand on his shoulder. Her husband always did this, closing himself off whenever something was bothering him.

Anakin wasn't about to give her the news that she was going to die in childbirth, not until he had more to go on anyway. When he told her, he would have a plan of how he was going to save her.

"Dooku's death on the _Invisible Hand_ ," Anakin said, surprising Padme and himself. "The Chancellor, he kept saying how sorry he was, but he didn't, _seem_ sorry." Seeing the confused look on Padme's face, he explained what had happened after he had arrested Dooku.

"That is rather odd," Padme said, furrowing her eyebrows in concentration. "Did he seem angry beforehand?"

"No. Just desperate to get off the ship," Anakin said thoughtfully.

"Maybe he was in shock," Padme suggested. Her husband nodded in agreement. Still, something had seemed off while they were on the ship, but in the heat of battle he hadn't taken much time to stop and figure out what it was.

 _Too late now_ , he thought to himself.

"The Chancellor is what's keeping you up late at night?" Padme said, raising her eyebrows. "I know the two of you are close, but this seems a little mild for a late night meditation."

"I had another vision," Anakin said vaguely. He was kidding himself and he knew it, he could never keep anything from his wife. It was stupid of him to keep things from the one person in his life he could be completely honest with. "It was about you."

"And?"

"You died, in childbirth," he said slowly, as if not saying it would stop it from coming true.

"And the baby?" Padme asked, instinctively clutching her stomach.

"I don't know," Anakin said sadly. So much of the vision was unclear, he was beginning to regret caving in so soon.

"Anakin, I'm not due for another seven months. Anything can happen between now and then," Padme said reassuringly. "And whatever happens, I'm sure Obi-Wan will help us."

"I guess," Anakin said, guiltily thinking of Obi-Wan. He was still in the dark regarding his relationship with Padme, and now with a baby in the mix he felt like he had failed Obi-Wan somehow, as if all the years of training had gone to waste.

"Let's go back to bed," Padme suggested, gently tugging on her husbands arm. "You've got a long day ahead of you tomorrow."


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER TWO**

* * *

 _Coruscant_

"I'm sorry I'm late, I got held up," Anakin said as he passed the Jedi Masters who were slowly filtering out.

"Not to worry, the Outer Rim sieges are going very well. Saleucami has fallen, and Master Vos has moved his troops to Boz Pity," Obi-Wan said. Despite the good news, a troubled look lingered in his friend's eyes.

"What's the matter then?" Anakin asked, crossing his arms in front of him. Obi-Wan sighed and looked around, making sure they could not be overheard.

"It's the Chancellor-," he began.

"The Chancellor? What's he got to do with anything?" Anakin said, his tone harsher than he intended.

"I don't know. Before the meeting he sent word to me that he wants to see you, but when he mentioned it to Shaak Ti she had no idea he had requested your presence."

"He didn't inform the Council?"

"It appears not," Obi-Wan sighed. It wasn't the first time the Chancellor had requested Anakin's presence unofficially, but until recently he had been more respectful of the Jedi's customs.

"Did he say what he wanted?"

"No, just that he wanted to see you." Leaning in closer, Obi-Wan lowered his voice. "Anakin, be careful. I know the two of you are friends, but something's amiss here, I just don't know what."

"Of course I will," Anakin reassured him, thinking about what Obi-Wan had said. It was strange that the Chancellor had requested him at his office during the day, when Anakin should be working for the Order.

"At least it will get you out of the Council debriefing," Obi-Wan joked, a small smile appearing on his face.

* * *

"You know I can always rely on you, Anakin, and I hope you can say the same for me," Palpatine said, suddenly changing the course of their conversation.

"Of course, Chancellor," Anakin answered, unsure of where this was going.

"You and I, we think so much alike. That's why I want you to be my personal representative on the Jedi Council."

"I-," Anakin started, processing what he had just heard. _Palpatine putting him on the Council? Had that ever been done in the history of the Jedi?_ "I'm overwhelmed, sir."

"No need for such formal titles, that'll be a bit cumbersome in meetings," Palpatine joked.

"I don't understand, the Council will never accept it," Anakin said. It didn't make any sense, Council members were chosen by the Jedi, not politicians.

"I think they'll make an exception in your case. You're far too powerful for them to ignore you."

"But I'm not a Jedi Master."

"You should be, with your powers and abilities. I've often wondered why they haven't done so already," Palpatine said honestly. "Now correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe you have a Council meeting to attend soon."

"Of course," Anakin said, excusing himself. Once he was out of the office, he allowed his thoughts to wander. Palpatine was right. He was far more powerful than the other Jedi, doing things far more difficult than they had at his age. As much as he hated the title of 'Chosen One', he couldn't deny that he had been far more useful to the Order than they wanted to admit. Now that he was on the Council, they wouldn't be able to chastise him like he was a wayward Padawan, or admonish him for what they considered an 'emotional moment' when he had stopped an entire planet from being taken by the Separatists, or saved Obi-Wan's skin for the umpteenth time. It was about time the Council recognized for what he had done for the Order, and for the galaxy. They were always complaining that the politicians were too far away and disconnected from the Jedi. Now they had the perfect opportunity to remedy that.

Seeing the genius of Palpatine's move, Anakin looked forward to a Council meeting for what was possibly the first time in his entire life.

* * *

"You are on this Council, but we do not grant you the rank of Master," Windu said coldly, glaring at the arrogant Jedi Knight before him. The boy had always thought he was something special, and so had the other Council member when they first allowed him to train. He was powerful, but nothing terribly impressive. What truly stood out about him was his unwillingness to conform to the Jedi lifestyle, and the number of times he had been disciplined by the Council. And a politician had the audacity to place him on the _Jedi_ Council. What were they serving at Senate luncheons these days?

"What?" Skywalker echoed, a look of disbelief on his face.

A prime of example of why the Knight was not ready for Masterhood. He couldn't even show proper respect for the Council he was supposed to sit on. Windu watched the young man warily, as he looked to his friend Kenobi for support. Yet another reason to not allow Skywalker on the Council, he was far too dependent on his friend Kenobi. Windu was already astounded Yoda had allowed Skywalker to have the position, but he supposed the insight on the Chancellor's dealings outweighed dealing with the Knight's impertinence.

"How can you do this? It's unfair," Skywalker continued, his shock shifting to anger. "You can't be on the Council and _not_ be a Master."

"Take a seat, young Skywalker," Windu said sternly.

"Forgive me, Master," Skywalker apologized, sounding about as sincere as a politician.

The Masters fell silent for a moment, processing what had just occurred, before more pressing matters than Skywalker's ego took over. The situation on Kashyyyk was addressed, and Skywalker was unsurprisingly sulking in his seat.

 _What did I do to deserve this?_ Windu thought as the meeting was adjourned. Everyone on the Council seemed to think the young man was going to bring balance to the Force and do great things, but all Skywalker did was challenge the Council incessantly, and veer too close to the dark side where his emotions were concerned. How could the Jedi Knight balance anything if he was as stable as a Mandalorian.

* * *

"What kind of nonsense is this?" Anakin ranted as they walked down the steps, not caring who heard him. "Put me on the Council and not make me a Master. It's never been done in the history of the Jedi and it's insulting!" If he were completely honest with himself, he couldn't care less what rank he was on the Council. All that mattered was his access to the holocrons, which had just been denied to him. Padme's life was hanging in the balance, and the Council had denied it to him without a second thought.

"Oh calm down, Anakin," Obi-Wan said tiredly. Anakin always let his emotions carry him away, even if the matter wasn't worth the investment. "You've been given a great honor. To be put on the Council at your age, it's never been done before," he said, his tone becoming more soothing as they stood off to the side, and Anakin seemed to cool down. Lowering his voice, he continued, "the fact of the matter is you are too close to the Chancellor. The Council doesn't like it when he interferes in Jedi affairs."

"I swear to you, I didn't ask to be put on the Council," Anakin said fiercely, knowing what Obi-Wan was thinking.

"But it's what you wanted," Obi-Wan reminded him. "Your friendship with Chancellor Palpatine seems to have paid off."

"He has nothing to do with this," Anakin said shortly. Why did Obi-Wan keep insinuating that he had gotten Palpatine to do a favor for him? He hadn't even known Palpatine had the power to appoint someone to the Council, let alone asked him to do it.

"Believe me Anakin, I know you would never do such a thing," Obi-Wan reassured him. He loved his friend, but Anakin had the political acumen of a celery stalk. Asking political favors was certainly not in his repertoire. But he needed to know what the situation looked like from the Council's perspective, and why they were so reactive to it.

"The Council only approved the appointment because the Chancellor trusts you so much."

"And?" Anakin asked, not understanding where Obi-Wan was going with this at all. The Council had to trust _him_ enough to let him serve on the Council, whatever faith Palpatine had in him wasn't relevant.

"Look, I am on your side, I didn't want to put you in this situation," Obi-Wan said quietly, coming to a stop next to a window.

"What situation?" he demanded, certain he wasn't going to like what Obi-Wan had to say next. The Jedi Master looked down, as if he could make the orders he had been given nonexistent by the power of wishful thinking. He raised his eyebrows, and lifted his head up once again.

"The Council wants you to report on all the Chancellor's dealings," he said in a hushed tone, lowered due to his shame of repeating such a thing, or the nature of the subject, Anakin would never know.

"They want to know what he's up to," Obi-Wan continued, walking towards a quieter section of the garden. Anakin followed him, his face frozen in disbelief.

"They want me to _spy_ on the Chancellor?" Anakin said, shocked. Palpatine was his friend, what was the Council thinking? "That's treason!"

"We are at war, Anakin," Obi-Wan said as if that explained it all.

"Why didn't the Council give me this assignment in session?" he challenged, hoping his friend would realize the severity of what he was asking.

"This assignment is not to be on record."

"The Chancellor isn't a bad man. He befriended me, he's watched out for me ever since I arrived here," Anakin said staunchly, remembering when he was fresh from Tatooine and still adjusting to the civilized ways of Coruscant. "How can you ask me to do something like this?"

"Our allegiance is to the Senate, not it's leader who has managed to stay in office long after his term has expired-,"

"The Senate demanded he stay," Anakin said defensively. Did he not remember they were at war? That an election would only make the Senate even more ineffective while transitioning leadership?

"Yes but use your feelings Anakin, something is out of place," Obi-Wan countered.

"You're asking me to do something against the Jedi Code, that's what's out of place," Anakin snapped, turning his back on Obi-Wan. "Spying against the Republic, against a mentor and a _friend_."

"The Council is asking you," Obi-Wan said sadly. He hated he had to ask this of his friend, and wished he could go back in time and never bring up the subject. But was something was wrong with Palpatine, they just didn't know _what_.

* * *

Padme started at the sound of her husband entering the apartment. It wasn't even sunset, and she hadn't finished going over a bill. What was he doing home so early?

"Anakin, what's the matter?" she asked, taking a seat next to him on the couch. A stony look was on his face, she had to get him talking now, or he would never say what was on his mind.

"Sometimes I wonder what's happening to the Jedi Order," he said coldly, staring off into the distance. "I think this war is destroying everything the Republic stands for."

"What, where's all this coming from?" she asked, moving closer to him. Anakin _never_ talked about politics with her, except to complain about the bureaucracy.

"The Council, the Senate, Obi-Wan, where do I even start?" he nearly shouted, standing up and walking over to the balcony. "Palpatine gave me a seat on the Jedi Council today, but the Council won't make a Master. Then they ask me to spy on the Chancellor because they think there's something 'off' about him, when everything he's done has a perfectly reasonable explanation! They're trying to scapegoat him for all the problems in the Republic, and want me to do all the dirty work! The Council doesn't care about my experience, or what I have to say. And Obi-Wan has the nerve to side with them, and expect me to go and do their bidding without a second thought. And Palpatine, the best politician in the galaxy, suddenly doesn't realize what him putting me on the Council is going to look like, and now the Council thinks I'm as corrupt as the rest of the Senate, that I can just be bought by being allowed to sit on the Council. It's just an endless circle of misinformation and deception!" he finished, unleashing a well of anger he hadn't realized he had been holding in.

Padme froze, analyzing everything he had just said. Slowly, she rose from the couch and made her way over to him, gently placing her hand on his shoulder.

"I can't imagine how difficult that must have been," she said softly, waiting for Anakin to calm down before she continued. What Anakin had described sounded like what she dealt with every day in the Senate. One politician asking for a favor on a certain committee, but then that committee turning around and asking for her to influence said politician. Graft and bribery ran rampant, each politician trying to gain the upper hand on all the others, but they all wound up in the same spot. Surrounded by wealth and power but not doing anything meaningful with it.

"Have you ever thought we may be on the wrong side?" she said, surprising herself. Seeing Anakin's shock, she hurried to explain.

"What if the democracy we thought we were serving no longer exists? You've said so yourself, many of the Senators don't do much of anything to help the galaxy or end the war. Perhaps the Republic has become the very thing we've been fighting to destroy."

This time, it was Anakin's turn to be shocked.

"That may be true, but we're not on the _wrong_ side. You're sounding like a Separatist," he said, stepping back.

"This war is the result of a failure to listen," Padme said. "Who else besides myself, Bail, and Mon Mothma has regularly pushed for negotiations with the Separatists, before or after the fighting?"

"You know I don't pay attention that sort of thing," Anakin said, even though he knew the answer was no one.

"And I've heard you and Obi-Wan complain countless times about the backscratching in the Senate, about how it takes too long to get anything meaningful done. I see it all the time, I guess this is the first time I realized how pervasive it is," she continued. "If we can't admit we have faults, we've become the blind followers of a broken system. And that means we're no longer a democracy."

Anakin grunted in response. He had nowhere near the political acumen of his wife, and didn't want to engage her any further on the subject.

"I know you didn't come here to argue politics," Padme said, brushing the matter aside for another time. "You're holding back, what else has been on your mind?" Cutting through her husband's defenses, Padme watched as his shoulders fell.

"The visions, they've been getting worse," he admitted reluctantly, his voice barely above a whisper. Anakin certainly wasn't going to tell her he had ducked out on his past few meditation sessions with Obi-Wan, knowing full well they would make another appearance.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" she asked gently, wrapping her arm around his waist.

"I didn't want to worry you," Anakin said softly. Padme sighed.

"Anakin, anything that troubles you, you can tell me, no matter what. I know you had the same visions about your mother, but you're here. If anything is going to happen, you'll be able to fix it," she reassured him. "And as for the Council, don't do anything you're not comfortable with. Leave the politics to the Senate," she said, catching a small smile from her husband at the last part. Wordlessly, he embraced her, as if just enjoying the fact that she was there next to him.

"Remember, I'm always here for you," she said.

* * *

An infuriated Korun Jedi Master stormed towards the Chancellor's office. The man from Naboo had always been meddlesome, but this, _this_ crossed a line. His colleagues may be too timid to object, but Mace Windu was not.

The guards not batting an eye at his appearance allowed him in without a hassle.

"Master Windu, I did not anticipate seeing you until tomorrow morning," Palpatine said kindly, rising from his desk.

"What is the meaning of placing Skywalker on the Council?" Windu demanded. He had no time for niceties and political games. Only the truth. The warmth from Palpatine's face faded to one of concern, and the man nodded solemnly.

"Of course. I should have consulted with the Council first, but I was not sure who to trust."

"What do you mean?" Windu said sharply.

"I have been, concerned, about Anakin Skywalker lately," Palpatine said warily, looking around as if he expected said Jedi Knight to walk in at any moment. "Lately he's been saying things, about how the Republic doesn't work, and the Jedi aren't fighting the Clone Wars effectively. I know the Order was initially against leading the troops and I sympathize. I thought Skywalker was just grumbling and venting to a friend. But in the past few months or so it has become much worse. He has become so sure of himself, I was afraid to challenge him. I didn't know how the Council would react if I told them about his behavior, if they would agree with him, if they would tell him what I said and he would turn against me, or if they would even believe me. Again I apologize, I should have consulted the Council first, but at the time it seemed best to let the Council keep a closer eye on him," Palpatine explained, a tired look on his face.

 _Finally_ , someone understood! It felt as if he had found someone he could confide in about his skepticism of Anakin Skywalker, and validation for his worries.

The two easily conversed, as if a dam had been broken. Palpatine voiced his concerns over Anakin's erratic behavior, and Windu reassured him that the Council was worried as well, and that they would monitor the young man more closely.

"Thank you very much, Master Windu. It is good to know that someone with such clarity is on the Jedi Council," Palpatine said as the two left the office. "You have alleviated a great burden from me."

"Of course, Chancellor," Windu said humbly. The two parted ways, and returned to their own thoughts.

Mace Windu could not have been more overjoyed. Other Council members did not understand how Windu could be so doubtful of Skywalker's potential and status as the Chosen One when he clearly demonstrated powerful abilities many Jedi had not mastered so young. But all Windu saw was a reckless child, who happened to be more connected to the Force. He had raw strength, but no discipline to control it. If the Jedi Knight couldn't control his own emotions, as Palpatine had said, how could he bring balance to the Force? The Chancellor had also thought it peculiar the Jedi believed in a prophecy, but had the good grace not to blatantly challenge it. Windu entered his compact apartment in the Jedi Temple, feeling more at peace than he had in ages.

For Palpatine, the evening had been a welcome surprise. Tonight he had accomplished so much, nothing could keep the smirk off his face. He had sensed the anger in the Jedi Master as he approached, and had planned his story accordingly. He knew from Anakin how much Master Windu despised him, and used that knowledge to further drive a wedge between the two. Between Windu's influence on the Council and their mistrust of the Palpatine himself, it was only a matter of time before Anakin felt betrayed and came running to him. An added bonus was that by stroking the Jedi Master's ego, he had all but guaranteed more infighting on the Council, diverting more of their attention to one of their own, and less on the rising Sith Lord.

All that stood between him and a brand new, incredibly powerful apprentice was a pesky Senator from Naboo. She had too much of a hold over Anakin to be allowed to live. So when he had sensed the new life in the Senator, he had concocted a devious plan. He had planted 'Force visions' of her death in childbirth in Skywalker's mind. The young man's reaction was so predictable, it may as well have already come to pass. Anakin would be infuriated when the Council would not grant him the rank of Master, and by extension access to more advanced holocrons. He had counted on the Council attempting to buck Palpatine's influence, but they had only made it stronger. And now, it was time for him to show Anakin that he was the only one willing to share the knowledge of how to spare his wife from death.


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER THREE**

* * *

Anakin rushed up the steps of the opera house, ignoring the looks of Coruscants upper crust. The past week had been incredibly stressful. Now that he was on the Council, he was sparingly given missions, Windu assuring him it was so he could learn the ropes. But that was ridiculous, because no matter what he said in Council sessions, whether it was his own opinion or Palpatine's, no one seemed to care except Obi-Wan. So he had been stuck on-world and only hearing about the progress of the war, and not actually fighting it. The visions of Padme's death seemed to be growing in intensity, and he was losing sleep because of it. In fact, he was slightly annoyed at his summons to the Opera House, he was about to get a few hours of sleep when his holo had gone off.

"You wanted to see me, Chancellor," Anakin asked quietly.

"Yes, Anakin! Come closer. I have good news. Our Clone Intelligence Units have discovered the location of General Grievous. He is hiding in the Utapau system," Palpatine said excitedly.

"Finally. I can't wait for this war to end," Anakin said. Once Grievous was captured there would be nothing to pull him away from Coruscant, nothing to stop him from getting access to the holocrons.

"Of course. I hope the Council is wise enough to select you for the mission. You are the best choice by far. But the Council, I cannot always trust them to do the right thing," the Chancellor added. "Come, sit down."

"They try," Anakin reassured him, taking a seat next to the politician. The thought of the Council reminded him of the 'secret' mission they had given him, and he scowled at the thought. Palpatine leaned in closer, looking around as if he expected his aids to return.

"Anakin, you know I'm not able to rely on the Jedi Council. If they haven't included you in their plot, they soon will," he said in a low voice.

"What?" Anakin asked. He and Palpatine had agreed that the Council was inefficient, narrow-minded even, but he hadn't mentioned anything about a conspiracy or not trusting them.

"You must sense what I have come to suspect . . . the Jedi Council want control of the Republic . . . they're planning to betray me," Palpatine said ruefully.

"I don't think the Council-,"

"This war has fomented distrust across the galaxy, and our own government is no exception," Palpatine explained. "Search your feelings, you know, don't you? You've always suspected them, but there was never anything concrete. Perhaps it was a small comment in a meeting, easily explained away. But it was there."

"I know they don't trust you," Anakin admitted, remembering what Windu had said about the Chancellor meddling in Council affairs.

"Or the Senate, or the Republic, or democracy for that matter," the man lamented. Anakin didn't say anything in response. Everyone knew the Senate was so crooked, most had to screw their socks on in the morning, and the Republic was nothing but a bloated bureaucracy full of graft. But what Palpatine was suggesting was something deeper, something, _dangerous_.

"They're not as trusting as they were before the war," Anakin said carefully.

"They asked you to do something dishonest, didn't they?" Palpatine probed. "You tensed up as soon as I mentioned them, as if you were guilty of something."

The Jedi looked down out of shame. How was he supposed to tell his friend that the Jedi Council had asked him to report back on all his dealings, on his behavior and who he spoke to? He had never felt so angry at himself, so ashamed.

"They asked you to spy on me, didn't they?" Palpatine continued. Anakin could only nod in agreement. Surely Palpatine would become angry at him and revoke his position on the Jedi Council after this, and make sure they never crossed paths again.

"I am not surprised," Palpatine said, his voice as calm as ever. "The Council has grown complacent, and they are afraid of losing their power and influence."

"The Jedi use their power for good," Anakin countered.

"But all who wield power are afraid to lose it," Palpatine said. "I fear the Council has become more preoccupied with maintaining their status than doing good across the galaxy."

"What are you saying?"

"Have they not asked you to betray the Jedi code? The Constitution? A friendship? Your own values? Think. Consider their motives. Keep your mind clear of assumptions. The fear of losing power is a weakness of both the Jedi and the Sith."

"What do the Sith have to do with this?" Anakin asked.

"The Sith and the Jedi are similar in almost every way, including their quest for greater power. The difference between the two is the Sith are not afraid of the dark side of the Force. That is why they are more powerful."

"The Sith are focused inward, they use their power for themselves. The Jedi care about others."

"Or so they've told you. Why is it, then, that they have asked you to do something you feel is wrong?" Palpatine inquired.

Anakin didn't respond, too deep in thought. Palpatine had a point, even if he didn't want to admit it. The Council had asked him to spy on the Chancellor, asking him to betray a friend and the leader of the government. It went against everything the Council stood for. What if the Jedi were losing their way?

"Did you ever hear the tragedy of Darth Plagueis the wise?" Palpatine asked, pulling him from his thoughts.

"No."

"I thought not. It's not a story the Jedi would tell you. It's a Sith legend. Darth Plagueis was a Dark Lord of the Sith, so powerful and so wise he could use the Force to influence the midi-chlorians to create life ... He had such a knowledge of the dark side that he could even keep the ones he cared about from dying," Palpatine explained.

"He could save others from dying?" Anakin echoed. If it was a Sith legend, surely there would be a record of it somewhere. He could open it and learn how to save Padme.

"The dark side of the Force is a pathway to many abilities some consider to be unnatural."

"What happened to him?"

"He became so powerful . . . the only thing he was afraid of was losing his power, which eventually, of course, he did. Unfortunately, he taught his apprentice everything he knew, then his apprentice killed him in his sleep. Plagueis never saw it coming. It's ironic he could save others from death, but not himself." Palpatine said, a wan smile appearing on his face.

"Is it possible to learn this power?"

"Not from a Jedi."

* * *

Anakin closed the door to Padme's apartment silently, not wanting to disturb her and not wanting to be pulled from his thoughts. If what Palpatine said was true, he wouldn't have to worry about the visions. Padme wasn't due for seven more months, more than enough time to track down the holocron and learn its secrets. All that was standing between him and saving his wife's life was the Jedi Council. They had stood in his way when his mother needed him. He would not let them stand in the way of Padme.

 _What does Palpatine know about the Force?_ a voice in his head asked. Anakin froze. He had been so wrapped up in learning to save his wife from dying, he hadn't thought about who he had been talking to. Palpatine wasn't a Jedi, what could he know about anything? Sure he had mentioned reading about the history of the Jedi, and by extension the Sith, but that didn't mean he knew anything about using the Force.

His eyes flickered to the clock, and Anakin was amazed how late it was. He must have spent hours wandering Coruscant. Dawn would be up soon, and he _needed_ sleep.

Vowing to investigate this Darth Plagueis further, Anakin crawled into bed, desperate for rest.


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER FOUR**

* * *

Anakin Skywalker leveled his lightsaber at Obi-Wan Kenobi's chest, the blade shaking in his hand. Obi-Wan slammed his palm on the ground, and Anakin retracted his blade.

"That's the second time in a row. I didn't realize you were getting so old," Anakin taunted, helping his friend up. Practice sessions were all he had to look forward to anymore, except for his secret nights with Padme. The Council had kept him on-world to report on the Chancellor, and Anakin was going stir-crazy. Even Shaak Ti was going off-world, and she rarely left Coruscant.

"At least I don't look like I've gone ten rounds with a bantha," Obi-Wan retorted. An odd expression appeared on Anakin's face, worrying the Jedi Master. His former Padawan had looked horrible all week, but he kept throwing out lame excuses. "What's the matter? You've looked this horrible all week," he said. Anakin frowned and looked away, not wanting to share the true source of his stress.

"Nothing, just frustrated with the Council," Anakin said, a trace of bitterness in his voice.

"The Council has never agitated you this much," Obi-Wan persisted.

Anakin looked at his best friend, wondering how much he could tell him. The dreams about Padme were right out, and the strange tales of the Sith from the Chancellor wouldn't help his friends reputation in the slightest. So he shook his head instead.

"Well you know I am here for you, whenever you're ready," Obi-Wan said softly, summoning his lightsaber and clipping it to his belt. Suddenly Anakin was overcome with guilt. He had done nothing but brush Obi-Wan aside for the past few weeks, and his friend deserved far better than that.

"I'm sorry," Anakin blurted out. "I've let you down. I've been arrogant and distant, and I apologize."

"Anakin you have nothing to apologize for," Obi-Wan said, startled by the sudden outburst. Whatever was bothering his friend must be severe, he never made outright apologies unless he was borderline forced. "You've been frustrated with the Council and I understand."

"Not just that. I've been ungrateful for your training and patience," Anakin continued. Being stuck at the Temple for more than a few days at a time and able to observe the Padawans, Anakin had realized just how much of a handful he had been, even for someone as well put together as Obi-Wan. Looking back, he was surprised his friend had lost his temper only a handful of times.

"You are strong and wise, Anakin, and I am very proud of you. You have become a far greater Jedi than I could ever hope to be, and you have saved my life more times than I can remember. But be patient, Anakin. It won't be long before the Council makes you a Jedi Master," Obi-Wan reassured him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I myself had the same troubles you did, and have no doubt you can overcome them. Now, are you sure you can handle best out of five?" he said with a smirk. The two returned to their opening stances, each thinking of ways to take advantage of the others weaknesses.

For once, Anakin felt confident he could make it through to the end of the month. Obi-Wan's reassurance had been like a cold drink of water under the twin suns of Tatooine, and Anakin was incredibly grateful to have a friend like him. No matter what happened with the Council, he wouldn't let Obi-Wan down.

* * *

The Jedi Masters apartment was silent and dark as he meditated. The Force had become more turbulent and clouded than ever the past week, and Mace Windu was determined to get to the bottom of it. None of the other Masters were as aware of it as he was, but he wouldn't let that stop him. It was overwhelming, and came from a single source, he knew that much. He suspected it was Skywalker, but had no definitive proof for the others. So Windu meditated, trying to piece together the puzzle.

After his discussion with Palpatine, Windu had kept a closer eye on Skywalker as promised. What he had learned astonished him. The young man was more volatile than he had imagined. He frequently defied Council members in meetings, leading with his heart and not his head. Some of his comments were borderline Separatist statements, and Windu was shocked none of the other Council members seemed to care. Sure, they thought the Jedi Knight was reckless and impulsive, but that didn't mean they realized how dangerous he was.

Palpatine's reports on Skywalker were even more disturbing. During their sessions, Skywalker made what many would consider to be traitorous remarks. But due to privacy and security laws, the sessions could not be recorded, and the Jedi Council was not very trusting of what Palpatine had to say. It infuriated Windu to no end that a threat like Skywalker was so readily ignored in favor of some political boogeyman.

Scowling, Windu's meditative peace was broken by his holo going off, reminding him of this mornings Council meeting.

* * *

Anakin stared at the holobook as if it would somehow change the words on the screen. No matter how much he focused his sleep-deprived brain, the words remained the same.

 _NO RECORDS FOUND_

He hung his head in his hands, desperately trying to think of any other queries he could try. He had spent all night searching every database known to man, and then some. But the tale of Darth Plagueis the wise was nowhere to be found, and without it no promise of manipulating life.

So lost in his own thoughts, Anakin didn't notice the librarian's approach until she was right next to him.

"Having trouble?" she asked, her eyes looking him over in concern.

"Just doing some research," he answered vaguely.

"I'd say so, you were here when I left last night and you're wearing the same clothes," Jocasta remarked. Anakin looked up at her, amazed she had paid that much attention to him.

"Don't look so surprised," she said lightly. "You haven't spent more than five minutes in here since you were Knighted, and all of a sudden you're here for sixteen hours straight. Now what is it you're working on, maybe I can help."

"I'm doing some research on the Sith Order," he began, trying to think up a plausible story. "And I remembered there being a Darth Plagueis, but I can't find a record of him anywhere."

Jocasta Nu pursed her lips, racking her brain.

"The name doesn't ring any bells. And I can see you've searched them up plenty," she said, gesturing to his holoscreen. "You may be thinking of Darth Phobos. She was-,"

"No, I'm absolutely certain it was Darth Plagueis," Anakin insisted.

"Perhaps you mismembered the name," Madam Jocasta suggested, frowning slightly at the young man's bluntness. "If he or she is not in the Archives, it is unlikely they ever existed."

"Maybe the Archives just don't have any information on him," Anakin countered. The librarian gave him a filthy look, as if he had just announced he was a Separatist.

"That's impossible," Jocasta scolded him. "The archives are comprehensive and totally secure. There is one thing you may be absolutely sure of, if an item does not appear in our records, it does not exist!" Offended, she did not wait for a reply, whisking off to assist a lost-looking Padawan.

Sighing, Anakin leaned back against the chair. He had tried ten different spellings, searched through the expansive Galactic Basic information banks and minuscule Huttese databases, but nothing appeared. Not a reference or a footnote. Palpatine was too specific to have made it up, maybe _he_ had confused the name with another Sith.

Rising from his chair, Anakin tried to push the tale of the Sith Lord from his mind. Wasting anymore time in the Archives was pointless. The only useful information would be held in the holocrons, and as he was about to be reminded today in yet another Council meeting, he did not have the rank of Master.

* * *

Tension rippled through the air as Anakin Skywalker briefed the Council on the location of General Grievous. Each Council member nodded attentively, except for Mace Windu, who was staring down the Jedi Knight. Ignoring the Korun Master, Anakin finished his briefing and sat down, letting the other Council members discuss.

"How could the Chancellor have come by this information and we know nothing about it? We have had contact with Baron Papanoida and he said no one was there," Ki-Adi Mundi asked, looking to Anakin for an explanation.

"A partial message was intercepted in a diplomatic packet from the Chairman of Utapau," Anakin reported. "The Separatists could be holding the population hostage."

"Act on this, we must. The capture of General Grievous will end this war. Quickly and decisively we should proceed," Yoda stated.

"Does everyone agree?" Obi-Wan asked. The Council members assented, and Plo Koon turned towards Skywalker.

"Does the Chancellor have anything to say about this?" he asked pointedly.

"The Chancellor has requested that I lead the mission," Anakin nearly mumbled. His face flushed as a disturbed look fell over the Council members faces. He couldn't explain it, but he always felt uncomfortable relaying Palpatine's wishes. Maybe it was because of the Council's antagonistic view of the man, the revelations of the past two weeks, or perhaps the fact that the words were not his own.

"The Council will make up its own mind on who is to go, not the Chancellor," Ki-Adi Mundi said firmly, sounding a little peeved at the idea. Anakin shifted in his seat uncomfortably. He didn't understand why the Council always asked the Chancellor's opinion, and then shot it down as if he had personally suggested it. If they were so unhappy with what the Chancellor had to say, they should take it up with him themselves. He hated being the middle man.

"Yes, this decision is ours to make," Plo Koon concurred. The Council looked to Windu and Yoda for affirmation, and the Korun Master nodded.

"Given our resources, we will only send one Jedi Master. . ., Master Kenobi," Windu said.

"Only one?" Anakin exclaimed before he could stop himself. If Obi-Wan was going to go up against a four-armed cyborg who could wield just as many lightsabers, he wanted to have his back. It wasn't as if he was doing anything critical. And if the Council wouldn't let him go, at least have another Jedi as backup.

"Are you doubting Master Kenobi's skills, Skywalker?" Windu challenged.

"No, not at all," Anakin said quickly. "I just want to end this as soon as possible." Windu held Anakin's gaze for a moment longer, before returning his attention to the Council as a whole.

"Obi-Wan, prepare two clone brigades as quickly as you can. If this report is true, there's no telling how many battle droids he may have with him," Windu said. "Council is adjourned."

* * *

Watching the Jedi Knight follow his former Master, Windu wondered what had happened to the young Jedi in the Council meeting today. He had seemed nervous and unsure of himself, unlike his typical defiant and arrogant behavior. Especially when he brought up what the Chancellor wanted. Skywalker always spoke in a monotone with the Council, but this time he had been quiet and his voice had wavered, as if he didn't believe in what he was saying. _As if he were lying_ , Windu thought. Stepping back from the window, he began the walk to the Senate building.

The Chancellor was in a meeting as usual, but once he was notified of the Jedi Masters arrival, he quickly finished it, ushering the man inside.

"Has something happened with General Grievous?" Palpatine asked, a worried look on his face.

"No," Windu said, furrowing his eyebrows in confusion. Why had that been the first thing Palpatine had jumped to?

"Forgive me, I did not mean to worry you," the Chancellor apologized, mistaking his suspicion for concern. "After what Anakin said this morning, I only thought that-,"

"What did he say?" Windu interrupted.

"That he was going to tell you all that he wanted to take on Grievous in the Utapau system. Did he change his mind?" Palpatine inquired.

"No," Mace said curtly, clasping his hands together in front of him. So there had been a reason for the boys nervousness. He had lied about the Chancellors intentions and hoped he would get some glory for himself for being the one to take down Grievous.

"I'm thankful for that," Palpatine said, sounding relieved. "After all the things he has been saying to me, I was afraid he might do something drastic."

"How so?"

"Well," Palpatine began, stretching out the phrase as if he were deciding whether or not to continue. "This is just the politician in me, but I was afraid Anakin might find reasons to..., sympathize with the cyborg," he said cautiously.

"You thought he would defect?" Windu said, his eyes widening in shock.

"Possibly, he's been saying all sorts of things lately. I'm genuinely concerned for him, and I'm afraid part of it's my fault. Placing him on the Council when he was so young, he isn't ready for all that stress-,"

"None of that was your fault," Windu interrupted for the second time. "Skywalker has been subversive to the Jedi Order since he was a Padawan. This sort of behavior, while extreme, isn't new by any means," the Jedi Master reassured the politician.

"Have you never disciplined him?"

"We have, but he hides behind Kenobi, who has too much of a soft spot for the boy. Not to mention the fact that most of the Council is under the impression he is the Chosen One."

"Why do they believe it is him?" Palpatine inquired.

"He's powerful, but I believe the Council mistakes volatility for power," Windu said. As much as he hated to criticize his fellow Council members, he knew it to be true. Anyone could let go of their connection to the Light Side of the Force and do awe-inspiring things, but that was what made the Dark Side so seductive. Unlimited power with so little work. "If they're going to measure power, they should look at how much a Jedi can accomplish while under control of their emotions. That truly shows how much they are capable of."

"What does the Council intend to do about Anakin?" Palpatine asked.

"I can try to have charges brought against him formally, but it will take time, and likely go on the back burner with the war so close to an end," Windu admitted sadly.

"Far better to have all our eggs in a basket than scramble to gather them," Palpatine said. "These are dangerous times Master Windu, we must be careful."

* * *

"You're going to need me on this one," Anakin said ruefully, watching as R4 prepared Obi-Wan's ship for take-off.

"Oh I agree," Obi-Wan said, "but this could just turn out to be a wild bantha chase. You know how much Separatists love a code within a code." Anakin chuckled, remembering the circles they had run in at the beginning of the war, before it became part of their everyday lives. Suddenly the possibilities of Obi-Wan's journey to Utapau played out in his mind's eye. If something were to happen to Obi-Wan, Anakin could never forgive himself.

"Let me go with you to Utapau," Anakin said urgently, looking around to make sure no one could hear him.

"Are you crazy?" Obi-Wan said, stopping what he was doing. "You'd be kicked off the Council for sure, or worse."

"Given my status, that's not exactly a bad thing," Anakin said cynically. "If you're right and Grievous isn't on Utapau, I'll be back by tomorrow night. And if he is, we can take him down faster."

"Don't worry Anakin. I have enough clones with me to take three systems the size of Utapau. I think I'll be able to handle the situation . . . even without your help," Obi-Wan said, diffusing the situation with a joke. He knew from many years of having Anakin as a Padawan, that a lecture would do no good. As he had expected, the Jedi Knight chuckled, the brief thoughts of rebellion gone from his mind. One of the crew members whistled, and Obi-Wan nodded in acknowledgement before turning back to Anakin.

"I must go now, but I'll be back soon," Obi-Wan said. "Now I believe you have a Council meeting that you were rather looking forward to," Obi-Wan said lightly. To his relief a small smile appeared on Anakin's face, pulling him out of one of his moods. Obi-Wan noted that he seemed to be sinking into those more often than usual, but brushed the thought aside. He could ask Anakin about it when he got back.

"May the Force be with you," Anakin said, giving him a slight bow.

"Goodbye, old friend. May the Force be with you."


	5. Chapter 5

**Life stuff is coming up and I won't be writing for a while. The next chapter will be up around March 2018.**

* * *

 **CHAPTER FIVE**

* * *

For two beautiful hours, Anakin Skywalker had no appointments. Not with the Jedi Council, not with the Chancellor, not with _anyone_. Under ordinary circumstances, he would either be taking apart a droid in the hangar or tracking down Obi-Wan, and pestering or helping him according to the circumstances. But Obi-Wan was on Utapau, and the Council was beginning to catch on that he could be found in the hangar if he wasn't in the main Temple areas.

So Anakin eagerly made his way to 500 Republica, taking the service elevator to bypass reception as he normally did. While he waited for it to reach the upper floor Padme lived on, his mind wandered to what the afternoon had in store. It wasn't very often he had such a blissful opening in his schedule, and he was going to make the most of it. Last night when Padme was making dinner he had been certain there had been bantha meat in the refrigerator, all he had to do was pop that in a stew with some other leftovers, and voila, a home cooked meal by Anakin Skywalker.

A soft ping from the speaker above the doorway told him he would be arriving soon, and Anakin straightened himself out, on the off chance anyone was wandering the halls. The doors parted and he carefully looked out. As expected, there was no one lingering in the apartment complex, and Anakin let himself in, preparing to surprise his wife.

* * *

Windu sat in the Chancellor's office, the two discussing something other than Skywalker's questionable activities for once. Today their conversation was directed at the Council in general. It was a subject Palpatine had grown tired of repeating, yet his criticisms were endless. The though of his plan coming to fruition kept him focused, carefully constructing his sentences for maximum effect.

"Forgive me, Master Windu, but I do not understand why the Council does not take your concerns more seriously. Surely someone with your experience of bordering the Dark and Light Side would be invaluable," Palpatine said, sipping on the Corellian whiskey Windu had abstained from.

"They believe my tactics are too aggressive, due to my exposure to the Dark Side," Windu said sourly.

"Ah, so they do not trust your judgement," Palpatine said sadly. "No wonder it is taking so long to end the war."

"Actually, we believe it may come to an end soon. We have sent Obi-Wan Kenobi to Utapau, thanks to your information."

"Yes, Anakin informed me of your decision earlier. Why is it that you have sent Master Kenobi by himself for such a dangerous mission? I was under the impression that you were the most gifted duelist, you bested Count Dooku even."

"Kenobi is a master of Soresu. Grievous analyzes the attack strategy of his opponents and uses it against them, since Soresu is the most defensive form Kenobi will be able to last long enough to find a hole in his defenses. Kenobi has also engaged Grievous before, more than the rest of us," Windu said. He would be loath to admit it, but he did have a certain level of admiration for the Jedi Master, even if he was too attached to Skywalker.

"Seems awfully risky to me," Palpatine murmured. "Explain to me these forms of lightsaber combat, as I understand it yours is the most powerful."

"There are seven of them. The first is Sii-Cho, it is incredibly ancient and really is only used to instruct the initiates. Some masters use it, and only then is it powerful and unpredictable. The second is Makashi, and it was created to be a more stable form in response to Sii-Cho. It is an elegant form, but Count Dooku is the only person to have used it in recent times," Windu looked up to make sure he was not boring the Chancellor, and was pleasantly surprised to see the man was paying very close attention.

"I've already told you about the third form, Soresu. Form IV is Ataru, which is fast-paced and effective against single opponents but not well-suited for prolonged combat. Djem So is the second most aggressive form, it's somewhat popular. Then there's Niman, which is some sort of amalgamation of all the others, the only advantage to that is being able to use the Force while in combat. And then there's Vaapad, the form I invented. Essentially, the user channels their own darkness and feeds off the darkness of the opponent, creating a loop of a sort," Windu said, a small smile forming as he talked about his creation.

"How is it possible to create such a form when the only Sith Lord in recent history is Count Dooku?" Palpatine asked, a confused look on his face.

"It is not necessarily the Dark Side, but the fury of the opponent," Windu said, not wanting to confuse the Chancellor. Palpatine nodded as if he understood, a pensive look on his face.

"I see."

A knock sounded on the door, and Palpatine rose from his seat.

"I believe I have an appointment with the Senator of Alderaan," he said, extending his hand to the Jedi Master. As Mace Windu was leaving, an appreciative smile formed on the Sith Lord's face. Palpatine was not a man who was easily surprised, especially with a blessing such as this. He had studied Vaapad extensively with his Master, learning all of its secrets. Sidious had full faith that Anakin Skywalker would be able to destroy the man, but perhaps there was a place for Windu in his new world. He had certainly overlooked the man's zeal for victory and borderline brutal tactics. Perhaps there was more he had failed to see.

* * *

"I didn't even know you could cook," Padme laughed, taking another bite of the bantha meat. "Without setting off a smoke detector at least."

"It's impossible to go wrong with bantha meat," Anakin reassured her, a smile on his face. He reached for a second helping of the stew, when his holo went off. The change in her husbands mood was like night and day as he read the alert, a grimace appearing on his face.

"Who's it from?" she asked lightly, pretending she didn't notice his change in demeanor.

"The Chancellor," Anakin said bitterly. Lately Palpatine had been requesting his presence more and more, and all the old man seemed to do was criticize the Council and the Jedi. Anakin didn't mind criticizing the Council, he had _plenty_ to say on the matter, but the conversation never seemed to be about anything else.

"I thought the two of you were friends," Padme said, the worry trickling into her voice.

"We are it's just...," Anakin trailed off, not sure how to explain it. "Forget it, I should leave."

"No, don't go," Padme protested, getting up from the table. "You haven't opened the message, he doesn't know you've seen it. Stay with me a little longer, it's nothing urgent."

Sighing, Anakin relented, leaning into his wife's embrace. He would take spending an afternoon with his wife over an appointment with Palpatine or worse, a session with the Council.

"Tell me what's going on with you. Lately you've been so gloomy and aggravated, I'm worried about you," she said softly. "Even Obi-Wan came by and asked what was the matter."

"Obi-Wan came by?" Anakin asked, fear coursing through him. Obi-Wan knew he was friends with Padme, but if he came to her asking to see if she knew something he didn't, maybe he was suspicious-

"He doesn't know anything Anakin," Padme reassured him, assuaging his fears for the moment. One less thing to worry about. For now.

"Now tell me what is stressing you so much, you hardly even sleep most nights."

"Where do I even begin?"

"Just start talking."

"You may want to take a seat," Anakin said, walking to the couch, trying to get his thoughts straight. So much had been going on, it was impossible to explain.

"It all started when the Council asked me to spy on the Chancellor," he said, trying to pinpoint his tipping point. Anakin had always tolerated the existence of the Council, and the Council had always tolerated him. But somewhere in the past few years it had descended into something more infuriating, something worse.

He saw the shock in Padme's eyes at the news, and he spoke quickly, trying to explain.

"The Council doesn't trust the Chancellor, they think he's just grabbing for power. But everything he's done is to help end the war, and the Jedi Council just don't see that. The Chancellor knows how little they trust him, and so he asked me to be placed on the Jedi Council. That worked about as well as jumping to light speed in a gravity well, instead of getting the rank of master like I was supposed to, they told me to report back on everything the Chancellor does, and no one gives two credits about my opinion. The Chancellor isn't impressed with the Jedi as well, and that's all he ever wants to talk about anymore, aside from some developments in the war. And I can't report _that_ back to the Council because I can understand where he's coming from, but then it looks like _I'm_ the one being dishonest, when they asked me to spy on him in the first place! And then-,"

Anakin stopped. Without realizing it his voice had risen to a shout, causing Padme to recoil slightly.

"I'm sorry," he said softly, rushing towards her. "I didn't mean to yell."

"Don't be. I had no idea all of this was going on," Padme said, concern in her eyes grabbing her husbands arm. "What were you going to say after that?"

Anakin hesitated, unsure of what to say next. He had been about to tell her about the vision he had been having, but if he could just access the holocrons-,

"It's the baby, isn't it? The vision you had last week," Padme said, as if she could read his mind. Silently, Anakin nodded.

"I've told you this before and I'll say it again. _Nothing_ is going to happen. The future changes every day, and the baby isn't due for another seven months. Whatever happens I know you'll be able to fix it." She wrapped her arms around her husband, feeling him relax in her embrace.


	6. Chapter 6

**FINALLY BACK! My update schedule won't be as frequent as it used to be, but I'll try to do at least one chapter a month.**

 **Apologies this chapter is a little short but this needed an update. Also I went ahead and skipped over the office scene because Ian McDiarmid does such a killer job I can't bear to put it into my awkward writing.**

* * *

 _Coruscant_

Windu stared at the hologram, feigning attention as his mind wandered to the discussion he had had in the Chancellor's office only a few nights before. Everything they had talked about was happening before him. Once again, the Council was indecisive, once again the Council was blindsided by an unforeseen event in the Clone Wars. He could hardly blame them for the latter, the Dark Side of the Force shrouded more and more each day. That didn't make it any less annoying though.

At last, the Council decided to summon Skywalker and have him gauge the Chancellor's honest reaction to the news that Kenobi had engaged Grievous on Utapau. Windu didn't need Skywalker to tell them Palpatine thought it was long overdue, but they still believed Palpatine to be the source of trouble in the galaxy to some extent. Most of the Council thought him to be responsible for their lapsed judgement and flaws in the Republic, and a few even believed him to be a source of darkness. But those were only a few of them, the rest were at least somewhat rational and knew it was a lie.

The door to the room slid open, and Windu felt a sudden tension in the room, immediately preceding Skywalker's entrance. The Jedi Knight walked in, looking around cautiously.

"Skywalker, we need you to deliver a report to the Chancellor," Windu said crisply, directing the man's attention to himself. "Kenobi has engaged Grievous on Utapau, and things are going well. If you tell the Chancellor, his reaction will give us a clue to his intentions. We'll come up in about an hour, and hopefully catch him off-guard." The Jedi Master saw a flicker of emotion cross Skywalker's face, but decided to worry about it later. Calling him out in front of nearly half the Council wouldn't do him any favors, they already thought he was too hard on Skywalker.

"Yes, Master," Skywalker said, his voice quieter than normal. Puzzled by the young man's much quieter demeanor, Windu's eyes followed him out of the room. The past few days he had sensed some dark gathering in the distance of the Force, growing stronger and closer by the day. And since then Skywalker had been becoming more and more withdrawn. The Council always told him it was because the young man was so Force-sensitive, but this was different. Windu could sense the Jedi Knight was hiding something more-,

"Master Windu, are you with us?" Shaak Ti asked, a concerned look on her face.

"Yes," he said slowly. "I am concerned for the fate of the Jedi Order."

"What are you talking about?" Ki-Adi Mundi asked.

"The Dark Side has clouded nearly everything, something terrible is going to happen to the Order," Windu said ominously.

"We have all sensed it," Plo Koon said quietly. "Perhaps the events on Utapau are leading to something we could not have foreseen."

"I think Utapau is far from the issue," Windu said, shaking his head. "It's something from the inside, or we would have sensed this shift much sooner. Whoever it is knows our weaknesses, and has kept themselves hidden far too well for far too long."

"I hope we are all careful about this conversation, otherwise we may find ourselves in an even darker place," Plo Koon said warily, looking at each of the Jedi Masters individually. It didn't take an interstellar scientist to figure out who everyone's thoughts were going to, but no one wanted to break the taboo.

"I don't think it's who we initially expected," Windu said carefully.

"And who might this new suspect be?" Shaak Ti asked.

"Someone within our own ranks, who we know to be volatile-,"

"I know you don't like him but that's a stretch and you know it," Aayla Secura interrupted.

"Lets hear him out before we rush to any judgement," Ki-Adi Mundi intervened. If Windu was able to back it up, it would make more sense. It was already implausible that Chancellor Palpatine was a Sith Lord who had masked himself for decades as a mere politician, perhaps this theory would be more reasonable.

"Think about it, the Sith hadn't come out of hiding until we discovered Skywalker. He may not have been involved with it, but that's an odd coincidence. Dooku winds up dead in his custody, and he's becoming more and more withdrawn and irritable. We've all seen the signs, we're just afraid to say anything," Windu explained.

"Force Windu, Skywalker isn't the Sith Lord," Aayla snapped. "He has a hard enough time keeping his emotions in check I doubt he'd be able to keep a secret plan to destroy the Jedi Order hidden for long."

"He's far too powerful for anyone who stays within the Light Side of the Force," Ki-Adi Mundi admitted. "He's unprecedentedly powerful, even when one considers the prophecy."

"I think we should all be glad Obi-Wan and Yoda aren't on Coruscant to hear this," Plo Koon said firmly, ending the conversation. All of the Jedi looked around the table, at hologram displays and organics alike. Without a word the Council disbanded, holograms flickering out until only Windu and Kit Fisto remained.

* * *

Anakin Skywalker sprinted down the hallways, putting as much distance between him and the newly discovered Sith Lord in the Chancellor's office.

 _Palpatine is the Sith_ , was the only thought running through his mind. No elaboration, no ideas how he had fooled the Jedi Order for so long, all Anakin knew was that he had to tell Obi-Wan.

Then reality hit him like a freight train, bringing him to a grinding halt in front of his fighter. Obi-Wan was on Utapau, and Yoda was on Kashyyyk. His two allies on the Council, gone. He sincerely doubted even Windu would let a grudge get the better of a his judgement regarding the mysterious Sith Lord, but-

Shock wore off and anger washed over him, his vision briefly going red before he calmed himself down.

 _Palpatine is a kriffing Sith!_ All these years he had been lying to him, giving him the impression of being a caring mentor, wanting to give him some reprieve from the duplicity of the Jedi Council, and he turned out to be no better than them! The man was just like the Jedi Council, wanting to use him for his so-called status as the 'Chosen One', a title he had never wanted. A title everyone seemed to value more than him.

Not today. If Palpatine thought he could overthrow the Jedi Council, then he could do it without his help. All those years of being his friend just to help him achieve his own personal goals didn't mean a damn thing. And as for the Council, they could explain how the hell they let a Sith run the government for nearly twenty years!

Furious, Anakin blazed through Coruscant traffic, certain that Obi-Wan would have a coronary if he were in the fighter with him.

* * *

Windu was the first Councilmember he saw, and the first to hear of his new discovery. The look of suspicion and doubt was far from unexpected, and Anakin ignored it, instead pressing home the fact that Palpatine had done everything but show him his red lightsaber.

"Wait for us to get back, and try to get through to Yoda, and notify us as soon as you do." Leaving the Jedi Knight waiting in the hangar, Windu pulled out his holo and patched himself through to Kit Fisto, running over what Skywalker had just told him. The possibility of Palpatine being a Sith Lord was nothing if not far-fetched. Skywalker had seemed more and more unhinged lately, it was preposterous that someone the Jedi had not even sensed an inkling of Force sensitivity in could be masterminding a scheme against the Jedi. Perhaps Skywalker himself was finally implementing whatever plan he had of wreaking havoc on the Jedi Order by framing the man from Naboo.

Whatever it was, Windu doubted Skywalker had the discipline to pull off such an elaborate con. This lead on Palpatine had to be a ruse, he knew it.

The blue image flickered to life, and Windu began to repeat what Skywalker had told him.

* * *

 **Fingers crossed next chapter will be up by the weekend.**


	7. Chapter 7

**CHAPTER SEVEN**

* * *

Windu's fighter skidded to a halt, and he hopped out ready to bolt into the building when he saw Skywalker land on a nearby pad. Hadn't he told him to stay at the Temple until Yoda arrived? He watched Anakin run inside and paused to think. Had he even bothered to notify the other Jedi? He was up to something, Windu could sense it.

Silently, he entered the Capitol building. Whatever was going on between Skywalker and Palpatine, tonight he was going to find out.

* * *

Anakin burst into the office as Palpatine buried his lightsaber in Kit Fisto's chest. Wordlessly Anakin activated his lightsaber and lunged at the Sith, taking him by surprise and disarming him.

"They tried to kill me Anakin! I had to defend myself!" Palpatine shrieked as he fell to the floor.

"You're under arrest!" Anakin said, ignoring the man's pleas.

"Come to your senses boy! The Jedi are in revolt! They will betray you, just as they've betrayed me!"

 _They've already done that,_ Anakin thought grimly.

"Anakin, they only care about your power, that's why they're so afraid of you. They can't control you. But I want to help you, make you stronger, so you can save Padme."

"How do you know about that?" Anakin hissed, raising his lightsaber. Anger swelled up in his chest. No one knew Padme was pregnant, which meant Palpatine had intentionally looked through his thoughts or hired someone to follow him or Padme. He had done a good enough job hiding his concern from Jedi Masters, it was impossible for him to have found out otherwise.

"Listen to me, the Jedi don't trust me, and they've already tried to do away with me. They'll come for you next. Join me Anakin, it's the only way to survive."

"Because I told them you were the Sith Lord," Anakin snapped.

"See, even when they have full warning, they abandon their principles of setting aside their emotions and come charging in here, only to be overwhelmed. The Jedi's time is over, it is time for us to establish a new empire," Palpatine said calmly. "They haven't been loyal to you all these years, why are you giving them something you've never received?"

"I'm not acting out of some false sense of loyalty. I'm tired of being manipulated by you and the Jedi Council. You've called me to your office so many times, offering advice and 'opportunities' when you've been doing nothing but trying to manipulate me into destroying the Jedi, hiding your true intentions from me the entire time, because you don't want someone as 'powerful' as me reacting the wrong way and bungling your plan. You do the same thing the Jedi have done, called me 'more powerful than any other Jedi', but keeping the true reasons of their orders and missions a secret from me, because they don't trust someone as 'powerful' and 'unbalanced' as I do. Both of you are-," Anakin fell silent, briefly glancing over his shoulder as Mace Windu walked into the room.

* * *

Mace Windu was appalled by the number of Jedi bodies on the floor of the Chancellors office, and that Skywalker was the only one still standing. Wordlessly he activated his lightsaber, shifting to a defensive position.

"What happened?" Windu demanded.

"I disarmed him but there's more than likely another lightsaber in this office," Skywalker said, not taking his eyes off the alleged Sith Lord.

"Where is it?"

"I think it went out the window, Master."

 _Convenient_ , Windu thought to himself.

"You must help me Master Windu, I only walked in on this carnage," Palpatine said, his voice quivering.

"That's a lie!" Skywalker shouted, "I saw you kill Kit Fisto!"

"No really Master Windu, Skywalker summoned me here on the holo and I was horrified when I-,"

Skywalker shouted something and swung his lightsaber at the Chancellor, but Windu intervened, catching the blue lightsaber with his purple one. The lightsabers cracked and hissed, the two men's eyes locked. Windu tried to decipher what was going on in Skywalker's mind, but his emotions were all over the place, although the red flame of anger stood out.

Skywalker was the first one to pull back, but Windu was too quick, and the two went back and forth, each trying to get the upper-hand. As the fight progressed, Windu thanked the Force he had never let Skywalker near Vapaad. All the anger rolling off him now would have made him unstoppable in a battle. The previous battle must have worn him out though, as his moves were mostly defensive.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw the Chancellor scurry behind his desk, trying to avoid the rapidly swinging blades.

"Windu what are you doing?" Skywalker shouted over the sound of their lightsabers colliding. "He's trying to trick you."

"Your manipulations have gone on for long enough, Skywalker," Windu said coolly, shoving aside Skywalker's block and swinging around it, only to again be blocked.

"My manipulations?" Skywalker echoed, "a Sith Lord has been running the government for the past fifteen years!"

"Or so you say."

"Go watch the recordings, they'll show what really happened here!" Anakin shouted, unexpectedly using the Force to push Windu away.

"You must stop him Master Windu, he's become power crazy! I've called the security clones but they'll be no match!" Palpatine called to him from the other side of the room.

Windu felt pure rage burn hot in the Force from Skywalker, as the young man threw out his hand, sending the desk and the old man flying.

"You've gone too far Skywalker!" he shouted, lunging at the Jedi Knight.

"Windu, do you really think Obi-Wan and Yoda would allow me to be in the Order if they thought I was a threat to the Jedi or the Republic?" Anakin shouted, trying to reason with him.

"No, you've got them too far under your control!"

"You're crazy!" Skywalker shouted.

"You're the one who killed Jedi today, and tried to kill the leader of the Republic. If anyone is a threat to the Order it's you, not some fictitious Sith Lord!" Windu could feel the fear emanating from Palpatine, and the sheer rage from Skywalker, which was all he needed to know. Summoning all he could from the Force, he again tried to strike a blow against Skywalker, but still the younger man was more powerful than he was.

In the hallway he could feel the company of clones approaching, and Skywalker must have felt it too, as he was working his way towards the exit. He was so preoccupied with his maneuvering, that Windu managed to get a blow in, slicing a deep cut in his upper arm. Instinctively Skywalker stepped back, right where Windu wanted him, when suddenly what felt like a duracrete wall slammed into his side.

The Jedi Master slammed into the turned over desk, and saw Skywalker make his escape out the side door as the clones burst in.

"That way!" Windu shouted, lifting his arm up with a great deal of pain. Whatever power Skywalker had tapped on to perform that Force throw had been immense, as Windu felt like he had been stepped on by an AT-TE.

"Don't strain yourself sir," one of the clones said as he kneeled down, taking his vitals and perform the routine checks.

Mace Windu nodded slowly, as the room around him quickly faded into black.

* * *

 **As always, please review or leave any questions/comments/concerns.**


	8. Chapter 8

**CHAPTER EIGHT**

* * *

 _Coruscant_

 _"Breaking news from the capital. Today we have received word that Jedi Anakin Skywalker and several accomplices have attempted to stage a coup against Chancellor Palpatine. Preliminary evidence shows Skywalker fleeing the Chancellor's office, where he and four other Jedi attempted to assassinate the Chancellor. Officials believe this coup was condoned by the High Council of the Jedi Order, and arrest warrants have been issued for all members and associates of the Jedi Order. These individuals are to be considered armed and dangerous. If you see one, please report it to the nearest law enforcement official. Efforts are now under way to arrest the Jedi for treason. All government buildings are in lockdown while the search continues. The following districts will be placed under martial law indefinitely, they are as follows..."_

* * *

Panting and dripping with sweat, Anakin collapsed into an alleyway, trying to catch his breath. His legs and arms were shaking, and he felt the ground swaying under him. The duel between him, Palpatine, and Windu had been incredibly taxing, and he wasn't sure if he would be able to get up from his position.

 _Maybe this is all just a horrible nightmare,_ he thought to himself. He couldn't remember the last time he had anything to eat, let alone slept. Between the stress of the Jedi Council, pressure from Palpatine, worry for Padme, and the fear that Obi-Wan was getting closer to discovering the truth every day, he hadn't taken very good care of himself. Maybe it was some sort of side effect of exhaustion, bizarre hallucinations.

 _Padme, Obi-Wan_ , Anakin thought, the memories of the two people he was closest to in the galaxy made the world around him come into focus a little better, and he sat up, using the duracrete wall to support himself. Who knew how much danger they were in, now that Windu and Palpatine were going rogue. He had to tell them what was happening, he couldn't let anything happen to them.

 **Palpatine is the Sith, Windu is with him, clones are after Jedi. Coruscant isn't safe, warn the others!** he typed, making sure it had the highest encryption and priority. He sent a similar one to Padme, but for some reason she wasn't online. Fearing the worst, Anakin jumped to his feet, his vision blurring for several seconds as he steadied himself. Shaking his head, he walked back out onto the street, looking for a speeder he could borrow temporarily. No matter how weak or how much pain he was in, he refused to allow anything to happen to Padme.

* * *

 _Utapau_

Obi-Wan Kenobi made the jump to light speed as soon as he was clear of the atmosphere. He had only barely made it into his speeder after warning the other Jedi, when the clones began to fire upon him. If he hadn't gotten Anakin's warning, there was a very significant chance he would be one with the Force. He prayed to the Force that nothing had happened to the other Jedi, no matter how much he doubted it. Yoda was the only one he had received confirmation from, which was one of few things reassuring him at the moment.

Despite what Anakin had said, there was no way his friend could take on what were now two full-fledged Sith Lords, especially if one of them was as skilled with the lightsaber as Mace Windu. Anakin was incredibly powerful, no doubt about it, but the manipulations of the Sith could be enough for them to overpower him.

* * *

 _Coruscant_

The bright lights of the hospital ward finally awakened the unconscious Mace Windu. Turning his stiff neck slowly, he was surprised to see only an hour had passed since his duel with Anakin.

 _Perhaps an entire day has passed?_ he mused, but his theory was disproved once he checked his chronometer. Oddly enough, this was the fastest he had recovered from a duel, especially one of that magnitude.

Someone knocked at the door, and Windu stood up from the bed, making himself as presentable as possible. A few seconds later, he was quite surprised to see Chancellor Palpatine enter.

"Feeling better?" he asked cordially, as if they hadn't fended off a rogue Jedi less than 2 hours ago.

"Yes," Windu said politely, unsure of what the older man wanted. Was he seeking a political alliance, a stable Jedi, or an ally in the new government that was sure to come?

"There's no need to be so cautious Master Windu, I merely wanted to tell you how impressed I was with your actions, and how grateful I am for them. You nearly defeated Anakin Skywalker, who is as of now a menace to the entire galaxy. I would like to place you in charge of a task force dedicated to finding him, since you are the only person who has been able to see him for what he truly is."

"Thank you, Chancellor. It would be my honor to lead your task force."

"Good good, Master Windu. I would also like to give you further training on certain aspects of the Force, you are already an accomplished duelist, but I believe that with my knowledge you can truly become unstoppable."

"What do you mean?" Windu asked, crossing his arms. He had created the seventh fighting form for the Jedi Order, and was therefore the master of it. What did Palpatine think he could teach him?

"It was quite well known in the Jedi Order that your fighting style borders on utilizing the Dark Side of the Force," Palpatine explained. "Many of them were concerned about this aspect of it, and limited its teachings to very members didn't they?"

Windu nodded in agreement, remembering all the times that Yoda had told him they must wait to see if a member was 'mature' enough to handle the fighting style.

"I believe that the Dark Side is not necessarily entirely evil. For instance, you were the only Jedi in my office who was able to fend off Anakin Skywalker, all the others perished. To me it seems your actions are completely justified, and you must grow stronger in this aspect of the Force to be able to truly defeat him. Otherwise what are you to do, allow someone like Anakin Skywalker bring destruction to the galaxy?"

"Of course not, but there are ways other the Dark Side," Windu scowled.

"My friend, I am not insinuating that you should become a Sith Lord or anything of that nature. Anakin Skywalker is an incredibly dangerous yet powerful individual, and you could sense the turmoil in him, it's only a matter of time before he fully embraces the Dark Side. When that happens, he will become far too powerful for us to defeat without a great loss of life. I am asking you to consider using one small aspect of the Dark Side of the Force to strengthen yourself to defeat Skywalker before he can harm any more people."

"I've already come close to defeating Skywalker once, I can do it again when the time comes," Windu argued.

"The Skywalker you defeated today was exhausted after battling four other Jedi and weak from sleep deprivation. The next time you two meet he will only be more powerful. I don't intend for you to rush into this decision, so please get settled in with the task force, and let me know of your decision. Unfortunately I have to go, until next time."

Windu bowed his head as the Chancellor left, sitting back down on the hospital bed to ponder what Palpatine had just told him.

* * *

Padme yelped in surprise as Anakin barreled into her apartment, his robes disheveled and grungy.

"What happened?" she whispered, rushing forward.

"Are you alright?" he asked, looking around frantically.

"I'm fine, I've been worried sick about you though. Have you seen the news?"

"No not really, why?" he panted. "It doesn't matter, it's not safe here."

"I'm not safe here? Anakin there's a warrant out for your arrest, and a $2 million credit bounty."

"What?"

"Clone troopers already came by looking for you, but I told them you weren't here. They said you tried to kill the Chancellor. Anakin?" Padme called, following him as he ran back into the bedroom.

"You don't believe them do you?" he said, turning around to face her.

"Of course not! But I need to know what's going on, breathe for a minute, then try to explain," Padme said calmly. She began to massage his shoulders but stopped when he recoiled. "Here let me turn on the light," she said, grabbing a glass of water from the nightstand as well.

"Here take thi-, Anakin your arm!" she exclaimed, running to get the first aid kit.

"It's fine don't worry...," Anakin trailed off, the full effects of the day beginning to crash down on him.

"Anakin," Padme whispered, checking his forehead with the back of her hand, "you're burning up. I have to call a doctor, or someone."

"No, no I'll be fine," Anakin protested, wincing as he sat up.

"At least let me put this on your arm," Padme argued, wrapping the bacta strip around his arm. After a few minutes had passed, he began to calm down, laying back down on the bed. "There you go, just take it easy for a minute," she said soothingly. "Do you think you can tell me what happened now?"

Anakin nodded slowly, keeping the ice pack pressed to his forehead like Padme had instructed.

"Palpatine is the Sith Lord. He told me and I told Mace Windu immediately," he said, spitting out the Jedi Masters name. "He told me to wait in the Council Chambers while other Jedi took care of the situation, and I was supposed to contact Yoda. I couldn't stand not knowing what was going on, and after I left Yoda the fifth message I hopped in my speeder and hurried to the Chancellors office, and he had just killed Kit Fisto," Anakin said bitterly. "He tried to get me to join him in taking over the galaxy but I was going to arrest him. Windu came in behind me and Palpatine started going off about how I had killed them and was trying to kill him as well we fought and Palpatine was egging him on. I got away and that's how I wound up here," he finished jumping to his feet. His arm still hurt and he was exhausted, but the short rest had given him some energy.

"Palpatine is a Sith?" Padme echoed, shocked at the revelation. She had suspected the Chancellor of sinister intentions, but nothing this evil.

"Yes, and," Anakin said, pausing, "he knows about us."

"What?" she gasped.

"He knows you're pregnant, he knows about the visions. I swear I never told him, but somehow he knew."

Padme sat in silence for a moment, trying to process what her world had become.

"It isn't safe for you to remain on Coruscant, you have to get off-world immediately," Anakin said, beginning to throw clothes into her suitcase. "I called Captain Typho on my way over, he should be here any minute."

"Anakin if I leave the resistance to Palpatine will be crippled," Padme said firmly. "Someone has to stay and fight him."

"And let Bail and Mon Mothma do that. Palpatine knows we're linked, and I have no idea what he'll do next. I don't know what I would do if anything happened to you."

"I can't promise nothing will, but I can't turn tail and hide at the first sign of trouble. If Palpatine tries to attack me or the others, we'll fight back."

"Padme I can't-," Anakin started, interrupted by the emergency signal from the hologram.

"More breaking news from the capital," the newscaster began, "the 501st has been spotted marching in formation in the capital district, north towards the Jedi Temple and annexes. Is this the first step to bring the Jedi into custody, or the start of another war? You heard it first on-," the newscaster was cut off as Anakin crushed it with the Force, the frustration and anger he had been feeling the past few days beginning to take root.

"Anakin!" Padme cried, shocked at what he had done.

"I have to go. Get off world, I don't know if I can make it back," he said robotically, dashing towards his speeder.

"Anakin!" Padme shouted again, scanning the area for signs clone troopers. Satisfied no one was pursuing her husband, she hurried back into her apartment. If what Anakin had said was true, the Delegation of 2000 needed to convene immediately.


	9. I done effed up!

**A/N: I am sure Chapter 9 confused a lot of people, and I accidentally uploaded the next chapter of a different story to this one. I am taking it down and uploading it to the right story. The** _ **real**_ **Chapter 9 should be up later this week. My apologies!**


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